Bandsaw blade

[Bill Mains]

Have 14 inch delta band saw and cut sometimes green wood, semi green and sometimes dry bowl blanks. If you had to choose one blade, what would it be? Size and brand? Thanks...Bill

[AHill]

This one from Highland Woodworking. It's specifically designed for green wood. You want no more than 3 tpi and a wider kerf. Green wood has a tendency to heat up when being cut, and the wider kerf prevents the expansion of the wood from stalling the blade.

Woodturner's Bandsaw Blade

[Bill Mains]

So the one from highland will cut semi dry n dry blanks also?

[robo hippy]

I have been using the Lennox Diemaster Bimetal blades for years. They do cost a bit more, but cut straighter, cut longer, and resharpen beautifully, though I take them to a saw shop for that service. 3 tpi, 1/2 inch blade, and the thicker ones. Good for any rough resawing. If you are cutting thin veneers, you need a carbide tipped blade, and a perfectly set up saw.

robo hippy

[Arlin Eastman]

Like Allan said a 1/2" x 3tpi blade but I use Timberwolf blades.

I tried the lennox blades from a guy locally and did not like both the 3/4" or 1/2" but did not buy the expensive blade Robo said.

You also have to make sure you keep your blade cleaned up after almost every use on green wood from the pitch or whatever the stuff is called that it leaves on the blade after cutting.

If not the blade will get hard to push thru the wood instead of letting the blade cut the wood and that is where accidents happen.

Arlin

[theeviltwinn]

+1

It also helps to lube the blade before the cut.

Twinn

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I use silicone steel bandsaw blades, 1/2” wide and .032” thick 3 TPI, The place I get them from is called R&D bandsaws, and the band is what they call a furniture band for turners wet wood sawing, it does not give a nice smooth cut as the set is wide, they also carry all kinds of parts for the different bandsaws and are very knowledgeable about bandsaws.
I personally think it is a good blade to cut wet wood and it will cut dry and semidry wood as well, I just cut al the wood from 12 large pallets into firewood lengths, there was all kinds of hard dry wood on them, cut it all just fine.
Though I don’t cut a lot of larger turning blanks on the bandsaw, preferring to use my chainsaws and just cut the corners off, the rest is removed turning it on the lathe but I cut smaller turning pieces on it all the time.
I think a 1/2” blade with3TPI and thicker metal and with a wider set is a good choice for cutting wet wood

[AHill]

Bill Mains said:

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So the one from highland will cut semi dry n dry blanks also?

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Yes, but the cut wastes more wood and it won't be as smooth as a blade with a thinner kerf. Mots bandsaw blades are relatively cheap. Invest it 2 or 3 to get the job done. If you use one blade for everything, you'll be replacing it or sharpening it more often than you might think - especially if you cut a lot of green wood.

[robo hippy]

I will admit that I don't cut much dry wood. The main thing that dulls my blades, other than 'foreign' objects is walnut, especially the green stuff. I figure it is the acid in the wood, not just silica content. I have had a couple of friends who were Timberwolf fans, and when they tried the Lennox Bimetal blades, they switched. The bimetal is common in metal cutting, but the tooth configuration is different.

robo hippy

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I don’t normally either Reed, just the odd piece for making Bird Houses or boxes and other small things.
And 90% of that wood is cutoffs, the width of the kerf is of no consequence when removing the waste from a blank, or any time when whatever you saw off isn’t going to be used, as you would saw outside the line.
For flat woodwork, the bandsaw is just not the best saw and if used the cuts aren’t straight enough to not have to use a planer or jointer on it, removing more wood than a thicker band would do.
And yes the Bi-metal blades can have much tougher metal, but they are still restricted for the bending and straightening of the blade, the metal fatigue is what does my blades in usually, especially with the relatively small wheels on the 14” bandsaw, as I can and do sharpen my blades a time or two with a dremel with a cutoff blade in it, after the second time there are usually cracks starting to show in the blade and it is time for a new blade.
They are relatively cheap and do last quite a long time, at least for me